AFRICA: THEY KILLED THE YOUTH

DEFINITION
The youth refers to people of ages between childhood and adulthood or generally, young people. Suffix it to say, the STRENGTH OF ANY NATION OR COMMUNITY.

FACTS
African leaders will rather chain it's STRENGTH (THE YOUTH) in the shackles of poverty for the sole aim of retaining power, and then use the youth as watch dogs to be unleashed on adversaries when necessary.

As the era of western hegemony gradually came to an end, and Africans had the opportunity to take the lead and determine their future, major players in the struggle of the emancipation of Africa, from western age-long extreme exploitation, suddenly became the drivers
and pioneers of the new era, where Africas will lead Africans.

A quick look at such pioneers as;

KWAME NKURUMA of Ghana- born 1909, aged 48 as at 1957 when Ghana got her independence,
NNAMDI AZIKIWE, born 1904, aged 56 as at 1960 Nigeria got her independence
will show that they were young men in pursuit of greatness and a spot in the sands of time.

A host of other notable African leaders in the 60s and 70s worthy of mention;
JULIUS NYERERE, born 1922, and at 39, became prime minister in 1961 and then president of present day Tanzania in 1963.
MAUMMAR GADDAFI, born between 1940-1943, already doing big things in 1969 in Libya.
IDI AMIN DADA born in the 1920s became arm commander in 1965 in Uganda.
GEN GOWON head of state of Nigeria at 33.
OJUKWU head of Biafra at 34 etc.
The above list is just a few out of many young Africans that had the opportunity, necessitated by a youth- friendly system, to actively participate in the formation of the post-colonial Africa.

At present, the average age of African leaders has become about 70 years.

HOW THIS CAME TO BE?

The generation that ruled Africa in the 70s and 80s developed a system that will ensure their extended hegemony that can only be disrupted by their demise.

This system is embedded in all constitutions across Africa, raising the eligible age limits into all offices in both private and public sectors, thereby successful locking out the youth in the scheme of things.

In the most recent population estimates in the world's most populous black nation, Nigeria, people below the age of thirty(30) accounts for up to fifty percent (50%) of the over one hundred and eighty million (180m) citizens of the country.

The systematic constitutional exclusion of the youth, 50% of the population of the country as in the case of Nigeria, from all government offices is the reason for lack of innovation or modern progressive and productive ideologies in Africa.

That was how they killed the youth.

CAN THE YOUTH RISE AGAIN?
It all depends on us.

#WeCanDoThis
#LetsDoThis